Chapter 3 - London - hobbling home

After breakfast Mr. Holmsmith wrapped my ankle in a tight bandage so I could join everyone at the Petticoat Lane market. I wore my long loon pants to hide my ankle so it didn’t look like I was showing off with a bandage or anything. There’s no way I’d wear a skirt with this thing. My ankle is all swollen and the darkest purple anyone could imagine. It had been so sore last night that everytime I moved it stabbed with pain. I couldn’t have slept anyway. My mind kept going over the whole afternoon and the man and me running away and how scared I was, and I would get all hot and tearful. Then I’d try to turn over to go to sleep and my ankle would stab and so I’d lie on my back and the whole thing just kept repeating in my head over and over. At least my ankle isn't broken, I'd told myself, trying to look on the bright side. Sometimes you have to convince yourself of it, but there is always a bright side.

Petticoat Market was incredibly noisy and crowded; all the people selling things yell. I’ve never seen anything like it before. I bought a really cool leather belt with my last pound, and gave an old lady begging with a mangy cat on her lap my last small coins. Then we took the Tube to Marble Arch and walked to Hyde Park Corner, where people stand on boxes and talk about whatever they want; politics or religion or can openers. I thought some of them were kind of interesting and I wanted to stay and listen to them, but we weren’t able to stay long. There was one man there covered in tattoos. Completely covered! He kept taking his hat off to show his bald head decorated all over. He didn’t talk about anything, just showed off his tattoos.
Then we went through Hyde Park to a the Museum of Natural History in Kensington. It was really, really big and really, really full of bugs and old bones and stuff. I liked the building better than what was inside. My ankle was throbbing so I sat down a lot while the others looked at the exhibits. Mr. Holmsmith’s bandage worked pretty well, and he tied it so tight it hadn’t slipped all day. He told me I shouldn’t be walking on it at all, but I didn’t want him to make a fuss of me and I sure didn’t want to have to sit in a hotel room on my last day in London, so I kept telling him it’s feeling ok and I really just wanted to sit down awhile and look at the inside of the building. I’m not sure if he believed me. But actually it was the truth.

I hadn’t told him or anyone else about the wheezing man, only about the motorbike. He said I had been careless and that I should really stop this daydreaming nonsense of mine or one of these days something serious might really happen to me. I just nodded and said I was sorry. He has no idea! Thankfully he didn’t say much to the others, and no one said anything to me about walking with a limp. Except Avril who said in a voice I know she knew I could hear “Some people will do anything for attention.”

I wanted to walk through the parks and the streets to say goodbye to London in my own private way, but London streets aren’t quite so friendly and safe as I thought they were a week ago.
Our last meal at the hotel was roast beef, Yorkshire pudding and vegetables that were a little overcooked and soggy. The meat was kind of grey and the gravy was really watery, but it tasted pretty good. It reminded me of home. I’m surprised to find I’m looking forward to seeing my family again.

Packing up was complete chaos. Six girls in one room with way too much stuff trying to cram everything into six suitcases. Avril asked if anyone had extra space for some of her stuff, but no one did. Well, no one said they did. I had no idea I had so much. I was surprised to see how much room all the programs and ticket stubs and maps I’ve collected took up. I had to sit on my case to get it closed. I sure hope it doesn’t pop open on the plane. Well, at least I don’t have to bring those clunky broken shoes home that took up so much room. I just have to figure out what to say to Mom when she asks what happened to them.